James m



(No Model.)

J. M. BRYANT, O. H. ZIMMERMAN & J. BECKER.

SPLICE FOR RAILWAY RAILS AND OTHER BAR-S.

Patented July 22,1890.

,1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. BRYANT, CHARLES H. ZIMMERMAN, AND JACOB BECKER, OF BEL IVOOD, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNORS TO SAID ZIMMERMAN AND BECKER, AND JAMES BRYANT AND B. F. PEABODY, OF SAME PLACE.

SPLICE FOE RAILWAY-RAILS AND OTHER BARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,816, dated July 22, 1890.

Application filed April 11, 1890. Serial No. 347,466. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JAMES M. BRYANT, CHARLES H. ZIMMERMAN, and JACOB BECKER, all of Benwood, in the county of Marshall and State of WVest Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Splices for Railway-Rails and other Bars; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

[0 Our invention is an improvement in that class of splices which are adapted to connect the ends of rails or angle or T irons without the use of bolts or rivets. It is especially designed for and adapted to the joints of railway-rails, although it may be used with other forms, such as those of beams.

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a transverse sectionthrough the joint. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the locking-key slightly drawn back. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of a modification. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the modified splice-bar and one of the main bars.

In the drawings, A A represent ordinary forms of railway-rails. The webs are slotted out, as shown at a, to any desired distance from the ends, and preferably so as to leave a part of the web above and below, as shown 0 at 1 and 2. The main splicing-piece Bis shown in Fig. 2. It has on one side an outer flange extending upward and downward, marked 01 d. The lower flange is arranged to bear upon the base of the rail, while the upper lies snugly under and bears against the under side of the head. Next to this flange on the inside is aweb 6, fitted exactly to the slots in the rail-ends-that is to say, the vertical depth of the web e is the same as the vertical depth of the slot, and the length of this web equals the sum of the lengths of the slot in the two rail-ends or approximately so. In the web e above and below are longitudinal grooves 3 3. These leave a space in the web 6, between the grooves and the inner face of the flange cl d, of the full depth of the web, and equal to or a little less than the thickness of the web of the rail. From this description of the parts it will be evident that the piece B may be inserted into the slots when the rails lie in place end to end by pushing it laterally until the web is quite through the slot and the flanges d d bear against the rail-web, the lower resting upon the base of the rail and the upper bearing under the rail head or cap. Then the grooves 3 are outside of the rail-web and on the side opposite that of the flanges d cl. Into the grooves is then inserted the locking piece or key. (Shown in Fig. 2, and marked E.) This is approximately in the shape of an angle-iron, but has preferably an obtuse instead of a right angle. It has a flange adapted to rest upon the upper surface of the base of the rail and a vertical flange g, the upper edge of which bears under the railhead. It'has a longitudinal slot open at one end, forming upper and lower limbs connected at the other end and fitted to slide over the web 6 in the grooves l and 2, as shown in the figures.

When the parts described are all in place, it will be seen that the pieces B and E both are interlocked, and both bear on the base of the rail and under its head, so that they form a solid support, with a much greater amount of metal than that which has been out out of the rails, and which may be made practically equal in strength to that of the solid rail itself. At the same time the pieces are so interlocked as to prevent any liability of spreading, and they hold the treads of the rail perfectly even and prevent any battering of the ends, such as is liable to occur when the rails are loosely or unevenly held.

The construction admits of any desired length of the splice-blockB and key-piece E, and thepartsarepreferablysoconstructedthat the key must be driven in with considerable force, and binds the parts together firmly and snugly. The key-piece is formed with a notch 5 in the edge of the flange, which rests on the base of the rail, and into this a spike is driven, which holds it securely in place. Nobolts or nuts are required. The parts 13 may be formed by rolling in any length and then cuttinginto sections suited to each splice. The key-piece may also be rolled and cut into sections, and the sections slotted into the form shown. The key-piece is longer than the main splice-piece B, and its flange may be made the same width as that of the base of the rail, the key being driven until the notch inthe key registers IOC with that of the rail, and then the spike may be driven through both into the tie. Instead of this, the spike may be driven by the side of the rail-base until its overlapping head engages with the notch in the key. The flanges d d are made slightly beveled inwardly, and the parts being so proportioned that the key draws the main splice B laterally, it wedges under the head of the rails, and thereby affords a solid support and renders the whole joint rigid. The construction of the joint heretofore described allows free contraction and expansion of the rails.

Figs. 3 and 4 show a modification adapted to iron bars and beams, such as are used in iron structures of various sorts. In this the slots in the ends of the bars arenot open, but are in the forms of elongated holes punched in bars. The main splice instead of being formed with a continuous web 6, is made with two sections of the Web 6 fitted to the holes in the ends of the bars or beams, as shown at 10. The key is the same, except that in this form it does not necessarily have a flange. In this form the splice serves, without the use of bolts, both as a splice and to connect the parts against longitudinal strain.

We claim as our invention 1. In combination with rails or bars having slots in their ends, the laterally-inserted piece 13, flanged and formed with grooves 3, and fitted to the slots in the rails, and a key-piece E, having an open slot made through the whole thickness of the key-piece from one end, but terminating at a distance from the other end, the said key-piece being fitted to the grooves 3, substantially as described.

2. In combination with railway-rai1s having slots in their ends, the laterally-inserted piece B, flanged and formed with grooves 3, and fitted to the slot-s in the rails, and a key-piece E, having a flange adapted to bear upon the upper surface of the base of the rail, and a verticalflange g, having an open slot made through the whole thickness of the flange from one end, but terminating at a distance from the other end, the said key-piece being fitted to the grooves 3, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have annexed our names in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES M. BRYANT. CHAS. H. ZIMMERMAN. JACOB BECKER. Witnesses to Bryant and Becker:

JOHN IV. LEACH, WILLIAM BRENNAN. \Vitnesses to C. H. Zimmerman:

F. L. MIDDLETON, JAMES M. SPEAR. 

